


when the wind is right

by Chash



Series: what I've been trying to say [3]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 08:23:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8438392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chash/pseuds/Chash
Summary: It's Marcus's idea to spend Halloween with Clarke. Bellamy should have seen it coming.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Set during [and dream how wonderful your life will be](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8223379).

"Where's Clarke?" Marcus asks, by way of greeting, and Bellamy can't believe he didn't see this coming. And, judging from her expression, somehow simultaneously smug and pinched, Roma _did_ see it coming, which doesn't help. Marcus has probably been talking about her. About both of them.

In a lot of ways, it makes perfect sense. Most holidays are Bellamy's holidays, honestly, but Halloween is _especially_ his holiday. It was one of the best holidays when he was growing up, one of the few times his mother was really engaged. She couldn't afford to do very much at Christmas, wasn't a good enough cook to help him with Thanksgiving once he hit puberty, and didn't care much about Easter, but costumes were easy for her. She taught him to sew when he was very young, and the two of them would work together, late nights stitching after she finished work.

Bellamy and Octavia always had the best costumes, and he'd hold onto his candy for months afterward, hoarding it, rationing it, sharing with his sister long after she'd eaten all of hers.

So Halloween is his. Halloween has always been his. And Roma never showed much interest in helping out. She's not particularly good at crafts, and Marcus always has his own ideas for what he wants to be, never needed her help coming up with ideas. If they had requests for her, she would always comply, but--as with so many things, Bellamy usually has it handled by himself.

But this year, there was Clarke. And Clarke is an _artist_ who also loves Halloween, which means she helped design the outfit, and paint the outfit, and even if she can't sew, she did a ton of work on accessories.

He's been trying not to think about it too much. Clarke is a temporary part of his life. Or--well, he'd like to keep being friends with her, even after he moves out. She's awesome. But she's not--

He's a grown adult. He is married, and he has a child. He cannot and will not get a crush on his cute roommate. It's hard to even feel _okay_ about the idea. After all, even if he and Roma weren't really married in the way most people mean it, or even romantically involved, it's still a huge life change, and Clarke is helping him through it. Of course he's attached.

Of course _Marcus_ is attached.

But they're going through some shit.

"Clarke's at home," he tells his son, dropping into a crouch so they're on the same level. "She has to give out candy to all the kids coming to her place. But she wanted me to send her a picture of your costume."

Marcus's jaw sets, firm and hard. He looks like Octavia, when he gets stubborn like this. "Why can't we go see her?"

Roma's watching them, arms crossed over her chest, eyebrows raised almost to her hairline, offering no help. Not that he necessarily expected it, but--some kind of backup would be nice.

"She lives on the other side of town," he says, but that's not really a problem. They could do trick-or-treating in Cambridge easily. They have time to get over there, and he could figure out a pretty good route on the train. The area is safer, and the candy is probably higher quality. Just judging from his own childhood experiences in rich neighborhoods.

"I go to her house _all the time_ ," Marcus points out, which is, again, true. "It's not hard."

Bellamy sighs. "Let me talk to your mom, okay? But if we go to my place, we have to stay there, okay? We'd trick-or-treat there, and Clarke might not come with us anyway. Like I said, she has candy to hand out too. Do you still want to?"

"Yeah!" he says, without hesitation.

It's not really a surprise. "Okay. Me and Mom will talk about it."

Roma goes into the kitchen and he follows her, closing the door behind them. She leans against the counter and he against the table, and they regard each other, the usual awkwardness hanging in the air. They've always been allies, and it's strange, being in this limbo where they're working together today, but want incompatible things for the future.

"Are you fucking her?" Roma asks.

"No," he says. "That's seriously what you care about? You're fucking Sterling. It would be stupid to get jealous now."

"I'm not jealous, just curious. I honestly wasn't sure."

"Well, I'm not."

"You probably should be."

"I'm pretty sure I shouldn't." He huffs. "If we're going out to Cambridge, we should get going, so--I can just keep him for the night. It's not like you'll see him for long after we're done anyway, and you guys weren't coming anyway."

"Don't act like we wouldn't have," she snaps. "I know how much this--"

"I know," he says, rubbing his face. It probably would have been _better_ , in some global, objective sense, to let Sterling and Roma take him out this year. It's more difficult than it looks, making sure the route is long enough Marcus doesn't feel cheated and short enough he doesn't tire himself out. It would have been good for them, but--he loves Halloween. "Thanks," he adds.

"I don't mind, I like giving out the candy," Roma says. She smiles with half her mouth. "You should take him out to you. Halloween is your holiday, after all. Just send him home after school tomorrow."

It makes him bristle, when she calls this _home_ , but he knows that isn't fair. This is Marcus's home; he doesn't even have a bed, at Clarke's.

Fuck, Bellamy doesn't even think of Clarke's place as _his_ home, let alone his son's. He's a mess.

"Okay. Thanks," he says again, and it feels so awkward in his mouth. 

"Have fun. Take pictures."

"Will do," he agrees. "Good luck with the kids here."

Marcus is on the couch, with his overnight bag already by his side. His costume--J.Lo from _The True Meaning of Smekday_ , which some people might at least figure out the movie and Netflix show--is crinkling on the couch, but not sustaining any permanent damage. His face is set in a scowl, like he's ready for a fight.

He's been moodier, since Roma and Sterling started talking about moving. Moodier, and even more attached to Bellamy. It's the kind of thing that could, in some global sense, be considered _good news_ for him, but anything that makes this harder on his son sucks, as far as he's concerned.

At least they're all people doing their best, right now. But it's small comfort to a child whose entire life seems to be falling apart in front of his eyes. Marcus has been _happy_. Bellamy's been working so hard to make sure of that. So they're going to have a good Halloween. They can do that.

"I need to get changed. Then we can go."

Marcus brightens at once, and Bellamy's gut twists. It's dangerous, letting his son get attached like this. Clarke is cool, and they both like her, but--no matter how often he tries to tell Marcus she's temporary, he's pretty sure the message hasn't gotten through.

Granted, it's not like he really thinks that either. But he knows it's a _problem_ that he doesn't.

"Really?" asks Marcus.

"Yeah. Let Mom get some pictures of you while I'm changing, okay?"

"Okay!"

He jumps off the couch and bounds off to find Roma, and Bellamy gets changed into his own costume--Han Solo, which he's been doing for a few years--and then gives Clarke a quick call. There's something about calling her that always makes him flash back to high school, nervous and awkward and waiting for the girl he definitely _doesn't_ like to pick up.

He's an adult. Seriously. He just doesn't use his phone as an actual phone much anymore.

"Hey, Bellamy, is everything okay?"

Her voice is all concern, and it makes him smile. "Hey, yeah, everything's fine. Marcus thought you were coming trick-or-treating with us and he's disappointed you're not seeing his costume, so we're just going to come do it over there. If that's cool."

"Yeah, that's cool. I don't--" There's a pause. "Shit, that was about to sound terrible. I was going to ask if I didn't have to come with you guys, which really wasn't what I meant. I just already put out the sign I made saying I was giving out candy and it's on this website one of the neighbors set up so people would know where they could come so--"

He has to laugh. "You don't have to come with us."

"I would, though. It sounds fun."

"I know. Roma always gives out candy here, so he understands. If no one was giving out candy, he wouldn't get any. We're just finishing up pictures and heading your way? He's gonna spend the night so we'll drop off his stuff there and then go out. Cool?"

"Yeah, sounds good. We can get dinner after? Maybe watch something Halloween-y, if it's not too late."

His throat aches with how nice it sounds. That's the real problem with Clarke, if problem is the right word. It's so easy to imagine the things he's always secretly wanted with her: a partner, a co-parent, an ally. And if it somehow worked out, it would be--

Still hard. It's always hard. But he thinks he'd be happy.

He just has trouble believing it could work out, and he shouldn't be getting anyone's hopes up. Not his, and not Marcus's. But he doesn't have anywhere else to live, and he has trouble _wanting_ somewhere else to live.

"I haven't come up with our route yet," he says, bringing his attention back to the phone call. "But I doubt we'll go that late."

"But it's still Monday," Clarke says, absent. "I'm getting the link for the neighborhood map, I'll send it so you can figure out a plan. Do you want me to get anything else?"

It's just so _nice_.

"Save us some candy," he says. "See you soon."

*

There are already other people out, groups of kids and parents running from door to door, so Bellamy doesn't bother with his keys and just lets Marcus knock instead. Clarke opens the door with a bright but somewhat forced smile that softens instantly at the sight of them.

"Trick or treat!" says Marcus, and she grins and gives him a handful of candy.

"Hey guys, you look great," she says. "Happy Halloween."

Bellamy's having a little trouble replying, mostly because Clarke looks _good_. It's nothing inappropriate, but it's still--really hot. Their office is pretty laid back, so he's used to her in jeans and plain t-shirts, or pajamas on the weekend. And she's gorgeous in those, of course, but it didn't prepare him for her in tights and a pencil skirt, with an open white blouse and undone tie over an actual spandex Superman top. She's got a pair of thick black glasses to finish the look, and he didn't have any particularly detailed sexy librarian fantasies before, but he's probably just spontaneously grown a new kink. Or five.

"Happy Halloween!" Marcus says, thankfully oblivious to his reaction. "Do you like it?" he asks, twirling for her.

"Yeah, it came out great," she says. "Did you wear it to school?"

"Yeah! And a bunch of people knew who I was." He squints at her. "Why are you just wearing the Supergirl shirt? You could have a cape."

"I'm not Supergirl. I'm Clarke Kent." She takes off the glasses and tugs the tie out of her hair. "On my way to fight crime, see?"

Marcus laughs, and Bellamy finally manages to get his voice working. "So, your costume is a pun that only works for people who already know your name?"

"Basically," she says. "Cute vest. Come on in and drop your stuff off. You don't want all the candy to be gone before you get there."

Marcus scampers in to drop his bag and Clarke leans against the door, considering Bellamy in a way that makes him itch.

"Aren't you worried the cat's going to get out?" he asks, for lack of other appropriate ideas.

"No, I lock him up for Halloween. I tell trick-or-treaters his howling is the souls of the damned."

Bellamy snorts, and Clarke smiles too. She hands him the glasses to hold while she puts her hair back up, and accepts them once she's done. "It wasn't a problem? Coming out here?"

"It was his idea."

"I meant with Roma."

"Assume my whole life has a resting awkward level of like three right now," he says. "But no, not really worse than usual."  
It's Clarke, so he adds, "She wouldn't have minded taking him out. Her happy family initiative. But Halloween's my favorite--"

"And she's getting him for two weeks at Christmas."

"And that," he agrees. "But yeah. It's fine. We'll probably get better candy out here."

"You better share," she says, and he laughs.

"Obviously."

A group of kids comes up behind him and Clarke compliments their costumes and gives them a single candy bar each before sending them on their way. He figured Marcus got extra, but it's kind of nice to know for sure.

"How long do you think you're going to be gone?" she asks, when they're alone again. "I thought I'd order food."

"Maybe an hour."

"Cool, then I'll do it in half an hour. Chinese okay? I'm craving rice."

He can't help an incredulous, "Who craves rice?"

"I like rice!"

Marcus comes back out and takes Bellamy's hand, attempting to yank him away from the conversation, and Bellamy doesn't let him because it's rude.

"Use your words, kid," he says.

"Sorry, Clarke, we need to get going."

Her expression is grave. "I understand. You want Chinese for dinner?"

"Sweet and sour chicken, please. And extra fortune cookies."

"Dude, it's Halloween," she points out. "You're going to have so much candy."

"But not _cookies_."

"Not cookies." Her eyes flick to Bellamy. "What about you?"

"Are you ordering from one of those generic Asian places that treats China and Japan as the same country?"

"I can, why?"

"I want teriyaki."

"Steak?"

"Yeah."

"Got it. Have fun, guys."

Bellamy got a pretty good route from Clarke's neighbor's website, and Marcus is thrilled, happy to be exploring a new neighborhood. They've gone to the park and the store, the commercial area around the the train station, but they haven't done much in the residential parts of Clarke's neighborhood, and Marcus is like an explorer finding uncharted territory.

He wishes Clarke could have come, in a way he's never wished Roma could. It's easy to imagine her by his side, her fingers laced with his, watching as Marcus skips up to each house and holds out his pillowcase.

The feeling of wistful longing doesn't abate once they get back, only intensifies. Clarke has the food waiting on the coffee table, and she's queued up some strange, unfamiliar movie.

"What is this?" he asks.

" _My Neighbor Totoro_ ," she says. "Not exactly Halloween, but it's about two kids who meet a giant weird spirit and I like watching it this time of year. There's a creepy cat bus with twelve legs." She looks around, but Marcus is still getting changed, so she adds, "And the kids are girls, I know you like showing him stuff with female protagonists. I loved it when I was his age."

"I'll try anything once."

"Good attitude. You guys have fun?"

"Yeah, it was awesome. You have a nice neighborhood."

"Thanks. I wish I could have come."

"Maybe next year," he says, without thinking, but Clarke doesn't seem to think it's weird. She just smiles.

"If everything goes well," she agrees.

Marcus sits between them and falls asleep about an hour into the movie, and Clarke falls asleep fifteen minutes after that, and Bellamy just looks at them, a lump in his throat he can't dislodge.

She was right. If everything goes well, this is exactly where he wants to be next year.


End file.
